'The Walking Dead' returns and kills it

Comic book-based movies are all over Hollywood in recent years ("Guardians of the Galaxy," anyone?). But this season, TV is following suit in a big way. AMC's "The Walking Dead" got the comics-on-TV trend going in 2010, and it's now one of the top five most-watched shows on TV. It kicks off its fifth season on October 12 at 9/8 c.

The CW has a high-profile new series this season with "The Flash." Critics are praising Grant Gustin's performance as the "fastest man alive."

One of the hottest new series is Fox's "Gotham," which examines Batman's city many years before Batman began.

The fan base for "Arrow" has grown over the last two seasons. This new take on Green Arrow is a guaranteed action extravaganza each week.

Fans enjoyed last season's finale of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," which took a nod from the events of "Captain America: Winter Soldier." The Marvel TV and movie universes are sure to collide again this season on the ABC series.

"Marvel's Agent Carter" will debut in early 2015, while "S.H.I.E.L.D." takes a break. This series chronicles the beginnings of S.H.I.E.L.D. as co-founded by Captain America's World War II-era girlfriend, Peggy Carter.

Rabid fans of Guillermo del Toro's vampire comic book series "The Strain" have praised the FX adaptation.

The 2005 Keanu Reeves movie "Constantine" didn't exactly launch a franchise, so NBC is giving it a go again in October with a new version of the comic book anti-hero, as played by Matt Ryan.

Rob Thomas of "Veronica Mars" fame is loosely adapting the cult comic book favorite "iZombie" for the CW in 2015. Rose McIver ("Masters of Sex," "Once Upon a Time") stars as a zombified woman who tries to live a normal afterlife ... when not snacking on brains.

• "The Walking Dead's" fifth season premiered Sunday


• The episode had action throughout, as characters escaped Terminus


• The heartwarming reunion was one reason why critics liked the episode

Editor's note: This article contains spoilers for the fifth season premiere of "The Walking Dead."

(CNN) -- "The Walking Dead" returned for a fifth season on AMC on Sunday night after fans waited since March to find out the fate of Rick Grimes and many of the survivors.

As usual, "The Walking Dead" dominated Twitter on Sunday night, with plenty of fans showing that absence did indeed make the heart grow fonder.

"So, that was probably the best season premiere I've ever seen, " one fan tweeted.

So, that was probably the best season premiere I've ever seen. #thewalkingdead

— Sweet Blood (@ecarmageddon) October 13, 2014

Last season ended with the group having discovered a place called Terminus, which was anything but the sanctuary they were led to believe.

The residents of Terminus quickly locked them in a train car, but Rick was determined to make an escape with his friends.

A very short time had passed between the seasons, with the survivors ready to go to war against those at Terminus -- who, it was revealed, had once found themselves in a similar situation. The Terminans' philosophy: "You're either the butcher or the cattle."

Rick's group was able to escape Terminus, but it wasn't easy. Much of the episode was an extended action sequence, as Team Rick, the Terminans and walkers were let loose on each other, and yes, there were also big explosions (crispy walkers, anyone?).

Baby Judith was also endangered yet again, but Tyreese was there to save her, just in time for Rick and Carl to find them.

We saw Daryl and Carol's long-awaited reunion as well. The character of Carol continues to have some of the strongest moments on the show, especially her confrontation with Terminan Mary, which ended with Carol setting walkers on her.

For such a dark show, it was an incredibly happy moment for the group to finally be back together.

"All of those reunions at once!? My heart needed this," another fan tweeted.

All of those reunions at once!? My heart needed this. #thewalkingdead

— Lauren Allen (@laurrren) October 13, 2014

This may well have been the best season premiere of the show's history, and critics were impressed.

Variety's Brian Lowry called the premiere "a dazzling adrenaline rush filled with suspense, righteous violence and, before it's all over, genuine emotion."

The show's storytelling certainly got faster in the season premiere, as Patrick Kevin Day pointed out in the Los Angeles Times. "It's a welcome change in pace compared with the second half of last season, when the story slowed as the group split apart and meandered toward Terminus," Day wrote.

Vicki Hyman of Newsday wrote that she hopes Sunday night was just an example of what viewers can expect throughout the season.

"The show always starts and ends its seasons strong; let's hope this more muscular approach to storytelling continues," she said.